Emma Barnes Brown, 58

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” — Sir Winston Churchill

It is with great sadness that the family of Emma Barnes Brown announces her passing. She died peacefully in her home in Acton on April 30, 2026, surrounded by loved ones.

Emma is survived by her two sons Alex and Liam Brown; and her two sisters Sarah Barnes and Jennifer McCullough. She was predeceased by her parents William and Diana Barnes. She is also survived by an extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, and nephews.

Emma was born on April 23, 1968, in Cold Lake, Alberta, before moving to Cranfield, England, while her father was studying aeronautical engineering. After moving to Forres, Scotland, and then to Brampton, Ontario, the family ended up back in Cold Lake for her high school years. She attended Queen’s University and graduated with a bachelor of commerce  and bachelor of arts  in mathematics in 1989. She received her master of business administration degree  from Harvard Business School in 1994.

Emma had a very successful career in business, working in human resources at the executive level at various companies. She began her career at the Monitor Group in Toronto, where she stayed for 18 years, and concluded her career as chief people officer at Agero Inc., where she worked for the last 10 years. She built close-knit ties with her colleagues and counted many of them as friends. During her time at Monitor, she moved to Boston on what was supposed to be a two-year adventure but which became a life and home in Acton for the last 17 years. She held a board position at Jump Math, an organization that supports children’s K-8 math education.

Emma loved to travel. She visited many places with her sisters and sons, such as Costa Rica, France, Iceland, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Thailand, among others. She kept Lonely Planet travel guides for most of her trips arranged neatly together, packing a shelf in her living room. She was an avid tennis lover and went to New York each fall for the U.S. Open with either her sisters or sons, whoever was luckiest that year.

She loved flowers, frequenting various New England garden tours with her friends Maurette Cobb and Sue Krusell. She took many of these lessons into her own garden, filling it with native plants and layering them like her aunts and uncles’ English country gardens. Her vegetable garden, which she planted with her boys each year on her birthday or Mother’s Day, included tomatoes, green beans, herbs, and an abundance of other plants. In the spring and summer, her backyard came alive and was one of her favorite places to sit with a cup of tea and a book and Van Morrison on the radio.

Emma was a devoted mother, never missing either of her sons’ sporting events, school plays, or graduations. On many early mornings and late nights, no matter the weather, she could be found sitting on cold metal bleachers cheering on her boys. She loved unconditionally, was endlessly patient and unfailingly kind, and gave her organization and drive to the causes important to her and her loved ones. She will be dearly missed.

A family interment will be held in June. 

Donations to the Jimmy Fund or a charity supporting cancer research of your choice in her name would be greatly appreciated. Arrangements have been entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Acton. To share a memory or offer a condolence on Emma’s tribute page, visit DeeFuneralHome.com.